paint applied in a solid, flat colour, like the paint on your wall at home.

(Pronounced: al-kid) an alkyd is a synthetic resin that can be added to oil paint to speed up the drying time of the paints. You can buy an alkyd-based medium that you can mix in with your oils, the m [..]

these paints are commonly known as fast drying oil colour and can be handy if you work quick or have a tight deadline for a client! Different brands have different names e.g: Winsor & Newton have [..]

Alkyd oil paints have been developed more for the hobby market so the quality of the pigments used can often be less intense that standard artist quality paints. Gamblin have produced a lovely paint c [..]

(Pronounced: ah-luh pree-ma) this is an Italian phrase that describes a painting created entirely in one sitting, it translates as ‘at the first’. Usually, there isn’t any underpainting to the piece a [..]

a labelling on paint tubes that is an International Standard for testing and material qualities.

the substance mixed with the dry pigment which holds together (binds) the pigment colour and helps the paint to stick to the support. For oil paint, the binder is usually cold-pressed Linseed oil. (Fo [..]

a dull, progressively opaque, white effect that can appear on varnished surfaces if the paintings are kept in damp conditions.

this describes the characteristic way that each artists paints. It is like your personal signature to your painting.

(Pronounced: key-ARE-oh-SCURE-oh) an Italian word literally meaning “light dark”. Most usually used to describe a painting created with strong contrasts, such as Caravaggio.